Old Curmudgeon

Definition of curmudgeon: a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man.


As far as descriptions go of Founder's Curmudgeon Old Ale, this one is pretty spot on. Well, minus the 'crusty' part. Or the part about it having a temper. But it definitely makes me think that old men drink it. Sounds tasty-- right?

It's actually pretty decent. If you could imagine smelling a bottle of wine that has been opened for too long, and then taking a sip and tasting a malty-molasses flavor, then you can get an idea of what this tastes like. I'm a big fan of the deep amber/reddish color but that doesn't go very far when it comes to taste. Because who really cares what it looks like if you don't ever want to drink it.


Honestly I decided on this beer because, as you can see on the label, I thought it read "Old Curmudgeon Ale", and that it was going to be some kind of Amber Ale that just is named after a crusty and ill-tempered old man. Instead, I ended up with an Old Ale that is leaving me ill-tempered... and crusty? Ok not crusty.


After doing some research on what I was drinking, I found this little blurb about Founder's Brewery:

The Founders Family, a group of passionate beer enthusiasts, has grown around this simple philosophy: “We don’t brew beer for the masses. Instead, our beers are crafted for a chosen few, a small cadre of renegades and rebels who enjoy a beer that pushes the limits of what is commonly accepted as taste. In short, we make beer for people like us.”

I can definitely agree that this "pushes the limits" of taste. For some people this might be a quite delicious beer that is working on the fringe of what We as beer drinkers expect beer to taste like. However I'm going to have to put this in the "Probably Won't Drink Again" category. A little harsh for a Brewery that I really enjoy, but I can't like every beer.


[I certainly can drink them all though.]

Founders Brewing Company
Curmudgeon Old Ale
9.8% abv
"Think classic sea fairing ports, local pubs, and weathered old fishermen."